Clan-Members » Kozma has a five-game hitting streak (7-of-19, .368)

RIO DE JANEIRO -- On a gorgeous summer evening in Barcelona, Spain, in the summer of 2013, a retired Michael Phelps sat in the press tribune at the World Aquatics Championships frustrated at what was unfolding in the pool down below.For the second straight major international meet, the United States held the lead in the mens 4x100-meter freestyle relay with 100 meters to go, but were overtaken by France, which both times would go on to win gold. Phelps couldnt stand it. He believed he could have made a difference. He texted coach Bob Bowman about the mistakes Phelps believed the coach had made. But really, that was all he could do. A year earlier, he had retired after the London 2012 Games. He was nothing more than a glorified spectator. He hated it. He thought about a comeback.Fast forward three years, and there was Phelps on Sunday night, walking onto a world championship-level pool deck for the first time since Barcelona. This time, he was wearing a racing suit. This time, he was swimming the second leg of that same race. And he believed the end result was going to be a gold medal.Five weeks earlier, Bowman couldnt even picture his star pupil in this position. A mediocre performance at the U.S. Olympic trials had Bowman thinking he should leave Phelps off the relay. But in the following training camp, something began to click. One impressive drill followed another. The great practices began to add up. And in a time trial in Atlanta, Phelps swam a 48.5 from a flat start, forcing Bowman to reconsider.Phelps would swim the second leg.When he entered the water Sunday night, following 19-year-old Caleb Dressel, the Americans were in second, three-hundredths of a second behind France. At the 150 turn, the French extended their lead to .13 seconds. But then, in one perfectly executed underwater turn, the greatest swimmer of all time wasnt the spectator, he was the game-changer. When he and the rest of the field resurfaced, the Americans were in the lead -- a lead the Americans wouldnt lose.Phelps split of 47.12 was the fastest of his career. At 31 years old. Then he had to wait. For the races final 90-plus seconds, he watched Ryan Held and Nathan Adrian fight off the rest of the world, standing behind the starting blocks screaming, yelling and throwing his hands into the air. When it was all over, Phelps raised both of his arms high above his head. He screamed in genuine delight. And later smiled as the Olympic gold medal, the 19th of his career, was placed around his neck.When I was on the block, I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest, Phelps said. I was so hyped and so excited. To hear the stands as loud as it was -- that was wild. I dont know if Ive ever heard something like that. It feels good to start the close of my career the way I wanted to.The gold was the Americans first in the event since 2008, when Jason Lezak chased down Frances Alain Bernard to preserve Phelps quest for eight gold medals in one Games. It was yet another reminder that some people are just born with something that lifts them to higher levels when it matters most. This was the swimming equivalent of Michael Jordans jump shot to beat the Utah Jazz, Curt Schilling and his bloody sock carving up the Yankees, or Joe Montana finding John Taylor to win Super Bowl XXIII. Its one of those undefinable intangibles that results in greatness.This was essentially one of the arguments Adrian gave last week when stating his case to the American captains in each sport to vote for Phelps as the flag-bearer for opening ceremonies here.Michael Phelps has set a precedent -- every time we step on the pool deck, we are expected to win gold, Adrian said. Thats what hes done to the Olympic movement.Hes a pretty good swimmer, Bowman said with a wink. He knows how to get himself ready. He knows what its going to take.Bowman categorized Phelps underwater turn as the greatest of his career. His split was the fourth-fastest of any of the 32 swimmers in the race and fastest for anyone not swimming an anchor leg. But just as eye-opening was what it might mean for the rest of Phelps week. On Tuesday, he will swim the preliminary and likely semifinal heats of the 200 butterfly. Then, later this week, he has the 100 fly, 200 individual medley and likely two more relays, the 800 free and medley. That could potentially set Phelps up for as many as six medals.Michael usually works this way: When one thing is usually good, everything is good, Bowman said. So Im optimistic.And yet, if you were to ask Phelps or Bowman, they will tell you the medals arent what is important. Sure, its great to win, but Phelps has a series of times he wants to hit, something he emailed Bowman about a year ago while they were vacationing in Cabo San Lucas. While Phelps and Bowman refuse to say what those times might be, they have alluded to the goal of Phelps swimming one more personal best before he retires.It seemed laughable a month ago in Omaha. After Sunday night, not so much.Hes in a good place now, Bowman said. Hes been as good -- everything Ive asked him to do hes been really good at. Way better than trials.And way better than that frustrated, helpless fan back in Barcelona.In my last 400 relay in my career, to get this thing around my neck, Phelps said, holding his gold medal, it feels really good to get it back.Nike Air Max 97 Clearance . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. Cheap Fake Nmd .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. http://www.fakeyeezyscheap.com/wholesale-nmd/nmd-r1-clearance.html . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. Fake Adidas Gazelle Cheap . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. China Vans Shoes Wholesale .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back.ST. LOUIS -- Jeff Bianchi got a rare start and made the move pay off for the Milwaukee Brewers. Bianchi drove in two runs with a 10th-inning single up the middle as the Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 on Saturday night. Bianchi made his second start since coming off the disabled list on May 2 after he was sidelined by bursitis in his left hip. "It feels great," he said. "Biggest thing was we got a win." The Brewers snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 3-13 in May. It also gave John Axford (1-3) his first win since Sept. 1, 2012. Jim Henderson worked a perfect inning for his eighth save in eight chances. Getting the start over the struggling Rickie Weeks, Bianchi singled just past diving shortstop Pete Kozma to give him his first two RBIs of the season. He had only five at-bats before Saturday and one hit in seven games. The Brewers loaded the bases with one out in the 10th against Joe Kelly (0-2). Logan Schafer grounded into a fielders choice to a pulled-in Kozma, who threw home to force out Ryan Braun and set up Bianchis game-winner. "You get a guy at third base with no out, all of a sudden the next two guys make outs and youre like, OK," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "And we get a big hit." Kelly allowed runs for the first time in five appearances. He allowed two hits and a walk in one inning for the Cardinals, who fell to 0-3 in extra-inning games. "I just gave up some hits and then I got the ground balls I needed to. I thought I was going to get out of it, and made another good pitch," Kelly said. "It found a way to stick up the middle." Axford gave up one hit and two walks in 1 1-3 innings to earn the win. Axford struck out two, including pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso with the bases loaded to end a ninth-inning threat. He also threw as hard as he had in some time, clocking one pitch at 97 mph. "Ive been feeling good lately," he said. "I looked in the mirror and got a little deeper inside myself the last few outings. I think I dug in and realized I need to do a little bit more.dddddddddddd" Jean Segura, Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez all had three hits for the Brewers. Segura and Braun both had two RBIs. The Cardinals used four consecutive singles with two outs in the sixth inning to tie it 4-4. Matt Carpenters hit chased Milwaukee starter Marco Estrada and drove in Kozma who started the rally. Jon Jays single brought in Ty Wigginton. Braun gave Milwaukee a 4-2 lead in the fifth with his second single of the game. The Brewers broke through in the third with a two-out rally. Seguras fourth triple of the season drove in Bianchi and Norichika Aoki to make it 2-2. Braun gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead with his first single. St. Louis scored twice in the second but left the bases loaded. Kozma drove in Allen Craig, who walked to start the inning. Carpenters single gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. Estrada gave up four runs, seven hits and four walks over 5 2-3 innings. He struck out two. Lance Lynn lasted just five innings. He gave up four earned runs on eight hits and two walks as his ERA rose to 3.27 from 2.88. He struck out three, his fewest since his first start of the season when he was lifted after four innings at Arizona on April 3. "I would have liked to pitch better today to help us win the game," Lynn said. "But everybody else picked up the slack." NOTES: Kozma has a five-game hitting streak (7-of-19, .368). . Jay has 14 RBI in the past 14 games. . Aoki has multiple hits in five of six games (13-of-26, .500). . Brewers LHP Chris Naverson threw curveballs on Friday for the first time since going on the disabled list April 7 because of a strained left middle finger. Roenicke said it was the final test before he is cleared to throw in a rehab game. ... Milwaukee LHP Tom Gorzelanny is on pace to return from the disabled list at the end of the month. He is set to throw a bullpen session Sunday and a simulated game Tuesday. He has been sidelined since May 8 because of tendinitis in his left shoulder. ... Former Cardinals OF So Taguchi provided colour commentary for Japanese broadcaster NHK from its Tokyo studio. ' ' '